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A local’s cheat sheet to the most sensational Hervey Bay camping

Kristie Lau-Adams Kristie Lau-Adams
From beachfront camp sites to amenity-laden caravan parks, the best Hervey Bay camping tees up idyllic outdoor exploration.

I’m overwhelmed with activity options in the small coastal city of Hervey Bay. Swim with whales, take a scenic flight over neighbouring K’gari, go on a jet skiing escapade along the placid coastline… the options are limitless. And if you’re anything like me, that yearning for uncharted action doesn’t stop after dark. My advice? Pair daytime adventures with nights under the stars. From unblemished camping grounds to quiet caravan parks (delightfully, they’re not as wild as most) that embrace their natural surroundings, the best Hervey Bay camping fuels all-day enchantment. Here are my favourites.

In short

If you only stay at one campsite in Hervey Bay, choose Discovery Parks — Fraser Street, Hervey Bay. The glamping tents are unique to the region and it’s surprisingly tranquil during the day because everyone’s out exploring nearby attractions.

Ingenia Holidays Hervey Bay

one of the cabins at Ingenia Holidays Hervey Bay
Check into one of the pet-friendly cabins at Ingenia Holidays Hervey Bay.

Let’s start with one of the wackiest, most unforgettable Hervey Bay camping options of all. Sure, Ingenia Holidays Hervey Bay is home to your standard powered and unpowered sites plus units, cabins and villas, but its Bel Air Retro Caravan is wholly unlike anything you’ve experienced. Starting from $199 per night and sleeping up to five guests, it’s a total 1950s time warp, complete with checkerboard flooring both inside and across the private outdoor chill area. You’ve got your own bathroom, dining table, barbecue, double bed, triple bunk beds and kitchenette, while novelty fuel cans have been moulded into bar stools out front. Travelling with your fur babies? Unfortunately, the retro stay isn’t pet-friendly, but many of this Hervey Bay camping hot spot’s accommodation is. Facilities include a swimming pool, a games room, a laundry, a kids’ bouncing pillow, a kiosk, a camp kitchen, accessible bathrooms, a tennis court, a playground and a dump point. Price-wise, unpowered sites start from $42 per night, powered ones go from $79 per night, and cabins start from $149 per night.

Address: 105 Truro St, Torquay

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Discovery Parks – Fraser Street, Hervey Bay

a bonfire setup outside a safari tent at Discovery Parks – Fraser Street, Hervey Bay
Stay in a deluxe safari tent that sleeps up to four guests. (Image: Sean Scott)

I bring a campervan into Discovery Parks – Fraser Street, Hervey Bay, a lush, tree-dotted space located just a five-minute stroll from Torquay Beach and an easy walk to some of Hervey Bay’s best restaurants. It’s a good move, parked right near the amenities block and one of its two swimming pools, but I must admit — I’m a bit jealous of the lakeside glampers. The Hervey Bay accommodation offers Deluxe Safari Tents that sleep up to four guests and they’re positioned at the water’s edge with decks featuring dining tables and barbecues. How good is that?

Back in my camper, I’m beyond comfortable though. I make good use of the swimming pool, laundry, camp kitchen, barbecues and dump point, while kids grin all around me as they hop between biking the grounds, the bouncing pillow, the tennis court and the playground. As for the nitty gritties at this very chilled out Hervey Bay camping option, pets are welcome, there are accessible bathrooms, you’re encouraged to feed the resident lorikeets (BYO birdseed, I’m advised) and prices start from roughly $200 per night for the glamping tents, $158 per night for cabins and $46 for powered sites.

Address: 20 Fraser Street, Torquay

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Trinity Islands Holiday Park

the Burrum River in front of Trinity Islands Holiday Park
Enjoy peak lakefront serenity.

Trinity Islands Holiday Park is set around a 4.5-hectare lake and features two spectacular islands to camp upon. The camping sites are spacious, offering serious lakefront serenity, and leashed pets are welcome. This Hervey Bay camping beauty is stripped back to basics, letting you lean into nature while that epic lake offers all the activity. Explore it by kayak or SUP, go for a swim, indulge in a spot of ‘catch and release’ fishing or relax on an inland beach.

This place also fronts the Burrum River – a great spot for swimming and fishing – while keeping you just a 25-minute drive from the centre of Hervey Bay. There’s no need to leave the camp’s grounds though, really — they’re stocked with ice, bait, drinks, gas and firewood. Choose from unpowered and powered sites as well as cabins, with prices starting from about $32 per night for unpowered, $42 for powered and $130 for a cabin.

Address: 805 Burrum Heads Rd, Burrum River

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Pialba Beachfront Tourist Park

the Pialba Beachfront Tourist Park, Hervey Bay
The Pialba Beachfront Tourist Park offers an idyllic coastal escape right on the Esplanade.

Location, location, location. If you’re all about a beachfront escape, book into the Pialba Beachfront Tourist Park, a Hervey Bay camping spot right on the Esplanade. It’s home to all the facilities and amenities you’d expect from a holiday park — think a camp laundry, a camp kitchen, barbecues and picnic areas — while its incredible proximity to the town’s best bits helps seal the deal. Kids will adore cutting loose in the neighbouring WetSide Water Park, open seasonally and free to enter, plus there are boutiques and eateries within a short stroll. Guests with access needs are catered for via multiple accessible-friendly facilities. Pets are not allowed. Overnight digs come in the shape of beachfront and non-beachfront camp sites offering power and no power, and prices start from roughly $45 per night.

Address: 267 Esplanade, Pialba

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Burrum Coast National Park

the Burrum Point Camping Area, Burrum Coast National Park
Go off-grid at the Burrum Point camping area. (Image: Sabrina Lauriston/Tourism and Events Queensland)

Looking to get away from it all? Set up shop right on the Burrum Coast. It’s just over an hour’s drive north-west of Hervey Bay but feels positively light years away. Choose from two sections of the park to camp in: Kinkuna bush camping or the Burrum Point camping area, both of which require a camping permit (from $7.50 per night) and a national park fee which should be organised well in advance to avoid competing with crowds. To reach either site, you’ll need a high clearance 4WD, but the payoff is remarkable. These little-known, hard-to-access campsites provide a bounty of tranquillity. They’re both shaded by eucalypt and casuarina trees, and located behind foredunes, just a short walk to the beach. Burrum Point has only 13 sites but offers water, cold showers and flush toilets, while Kinkuna has 40 sites and none of those luxuries, however it allows campfires and generators (conditions apply).

Address: Burrum Coast National Park, Woodgate

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BOOK BURRUM POINT

Poona Palms Caravan Park

the Poona Palms Caravan Park, Hervey Bay camping
This pet-friendly, heavenly coastal stay is complete with powered and unpowered sites.

While you’re considering the wider region, let me throw Poona Palms Caravan Park onto your radar. Located right along the Great Sandy Strait, it’s a heavenly coastal stay filled with powered and unpowered sites, villas, cabins and even motel-style rooms. The serenity you’ll find here is pretty intoxicating as activities span fishing, boating, sprawling out over water-facing grasslands, beach hangs, 4X4 off-roading and pumping yabbies. The best drawcard, in my book? The Strait is filled with so much marine life including vibrant sea birds, dugong, turtles and dolphins, so just kicking back and getting to know adorable locals is easy. Break up your nature fix by exploring facilities that span a cafe (how convenient) which doubles as a bar in the afternoons (double convenient), a kiosk, a laundry, a camp kitchen, a playground, a swimming pool, barbecues, and basketball and tennis courts. There’s also a dump point, plus this spot is pet-friendly as can be with a doggie wash and dog-friendly cabins. Powered sites start from about $49 per night, while four-walled options start climbing from about $157.

Address: 103 Boronia Dr, Poona

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Kristie Lau-Adams
Kristie Lau-Adams is a Gold Coast-based freelance writer after working as a journalist and editorial director for almost 20 years across Australia's best-known media brands including The Sun-Herald, WHO and Woman's Day. She has spent significant time exploring the world with highlights including trekking Japan’s life-changing Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage and ziplining 140 metres above the vines of Mexico’s Puerto Villarta. She loves exploring her own backyard (quite literally, with her two young children who love bugs), but can also be found stalking remote corners globally for outstanding chilli margaritas and soul-stirring cultural experiences.
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A resort swimming pool with views to the ocean
Hervey Bay

The best Hervey Bay accommodation for an unforgettable coastal getaway

From slow-going holiday parks to splashy resort living, the best Hervey Bay accommodation puts travellers right at home.

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How to spend three romantic days on Hamilton Island

(Image: Sharyn Cairns)

    Eleanor Edström Eleanor Edström
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    From barefoot beach walks to moonlit dinners, this three-day Hamilton Island itinerary will have lovebirds swooning.

    Few Aussie destinations do romance quite like Hamilton Island. Set in the dreamy Whitsunday Islands, this popular honeymoon destination combines luxury retreats, palm-fringed reefs and spectacular dining with the easy rhythm of tropical living. Whether you’re planning a honeymoon, anniversary or spontaneous couples’ weekend, here’s how to spend a loved-up three days on Hamilton Island.

    Day 1

    Morning

    A serene ocean-view room overlooking endless blue horizons.
    Let picturesque ocean views welcome you the moment you check in. (Image: Kara Rosenlund)

    Nothing kills the holiday buzz faster than waiting at the baggage carousel. Luckily, our arrival couldn’t have been smoother. Staying at the boutique, adults-only Beach Club Hotel means VIP transfers are included, so the moment we land, a staff member greets us and whisks our bags straight from the baggage claim to our room. We don’t have to lift a finger.

    Occupying a prime piece of real estate on Catseye Beach, Beach Club is a peaceful retreat just steps from sugar-white sand and a turquoise lagoon. Within 10 minutes of stepping off the plane, we’ve arrived and are switched into holiday mode.

    We check into our room, immediately delighted by the sight of several wallabies grazing in the garden just in front of our private terrace. Beyond, picturesque ocean vistas stretch across the horizon. The room’s mini bar is stocked with bespoke sweet treats; the bathroom with premium Aesop amenities that add to the luxury.

    After we’ve checked out the resort’s beachside infinity pool – plotting the lounge chairs we’ll no doubt return to later – we head out to explore the island. Families glide by on hire bikes and chirping rainbow lorikeets dot the foliage. We decide to hike up to Passage Peak – one of the most scenic walks on Hamilton Island – which takes about 40 minutes one way and boasts panoramic Whitsundays views that will stick with you for long after you leave.

    Afternoon

    A romantic beachside lunch as champagne is served.
    Recharge with a laid-back lunch at Beach Club Restaurant. (Image: Nikki To)

    After working up an appetite, Beach Club Restaurant is the perfect place to snap up a light lunch. Think barramundi, nourish bowls, Wagyu beef burgers, brown butter toasties and Queensland chilli prawns. For those who don’t want to move from their prime perch on the beach or by the pool, there’s also the option to order bites via QR code from the resort’s lounge chairs.

    After our fill, we plunge into the hotel’s incredible infinity pool, its surface blending near seamlessly into the blues of Catseye Beach. Quiet and tucked away from the island’s hum, it feels illegal to do anything but relax here.

    Evening

    A curated flatlay of dishes from Catseye Pool Club.
    Celebrate your first evening over beautifully plated coral trout. (Image: Nikki To)

    There’s truly nothing more satisfying than a little R&R (rest & robe) time in your hotel room after spending the day in the sun. Fresh from a shower, we watch the ripe tangerine sun slowly dip below the palm-framed horizon from our plush terrace daybed. Two wallabies are still grazing on the grass. It’s a magical setting; I find it hard to believe I am only a few hours away from home.

    Come dinnertime, we zip over to nearby Catseye Pool Club, which is a short buggy ride from the hotel or a five-minute walk. A chic new haunt from Sydney-based pair Josh and Julie Niland, the restaurant is all about reconnecting over flavour-rich share plates using high-quality Aussie ingredients.

    We sit in a corner overlooking Catseye Beach – arguably the best seat in the house – with mini table lamps casting a soft glow about the contemporary indoor-outdoor setting. What comes next is pure delight; grilled prawns served with tumeric and lemongrass marinade, macadamia satay sauce and a Thai-leaning sour green mango salad. Then, elegantly plated coral trout served with kasundi and zucchini. We savour it all slowly, the conversation flowing easily between bites and sips while the moonlight transforms the ocean into molten silver.

    Day 2

    Morning

    An 18-hole golf course set against sweeping ocean views.
    Tee off side by side against a backdrop of sweeping ocean views. (Image: Andrea Francolini)

    A la carte breakfast is complimentary for guests of Beach Club, and we take full advantage of the fact. Barista-quality coffee and pressed juice – today it’s carrot, melon, orange and pineapple – arrive alongside pastries baked fresh this morning. For the larger meal, I treat myself to the buttermilk pancakes with praline butter.

    If you prefer an active start to the morning rather than lying in, you’ll find plenty of options. Perhaps tee off at the 18-hole golf course, where the views are as much of a drawcard as the sport itself. Designed by five-time British Open winner Peter Thomson, the course is integrated into the ridged landscape of Dent Island.

    Afternoon

    Artfully paired wines and bites from the Talk & Taste experience.
    Uncover new favourite wines together. (Image: Sharyn Cairns)

    For wine-curious couples, Beach Club’s new Talk & Taste experience is a must. Held several times a week for up to eight guests, it’s an intimate tasting of Aussie drops paired with curated bites – all guided by Bommie Assistant Manager and wine enthusiast Courtenay Morgan-Fletcher.

    We opt for the white wine and seafood option, enjoying pours from Eden Valley to Launceston while Courtenay shares her knowledge and passion for the intricacies of wine making.

    Later, we drive our golf buggy up to One Tree Hill. This is one of the most popular spots on the island for sunset, but we chose to come a little earlier so we have more space to ourselves. We enjoy afternoon wine and cheese, admiring the 360-degree views of the island and its impossibly blue waters.

    Evening

    The moody, atmospheric interiors of Bommie Deck.
    Dress up for a romantic evening at Bommie Restaurant. (Image: Kara Rosenlund)

    Since we are, after all, on holiday, we continue the tipples at Bommie Deck. Suspended above Hamilton Island’s marina, this architectural monument is a fabulous place for a sunset spritz.

    Just a few steps inside is Bommie Restaurant, the contemporary Australian fine dining establishment headed by chef Ryan Locke. Of anywhere on the island, this is the place to frock up and celebrate a special occasion – especially if theatrical culinary experiences take your fancy. The tasting set menu is a whirlwind of native Australian flavours and creative plating – with highlights including the cured venison wrapped in wattle seed seasoning. For dessert, a clever take on white chocolate and lemonade ends the night on a high.

    Day 3

    Morning

    A couple gliding across calm waters on SUP boards together.
    Ease into the morning with a paddleboarding adventure. (Image: Kara Rosenlund)

    Another low-key morning means another blissful breakfast at Beach Club. This time, it’s smashed avo toast topped with Persian fetta, dukkah and poached eggs – a deliciously fueling start to the day.

    The weather today is perfect for a paddle, so we walk straight from our room onto the sand of Catseye Beach to pick up some SUP boards. Guests of Beach Club receive complimentary non-motorised water sports equipment, spanning everything from mini catamarans to snorkel gear and kayaks. Finding our balance on the boards is a fun challenge at first, but before long, we’re gliding across the glassy water like naturals.

    Afternoon

    A helicopter soaring above the iconic Heart Reef.
    Add the ultimate highlight with a Heart Reef flight together. (Image: Hamilton Island)

    No couples’ retreat is complete without a touch of pampering. Located in the resort area, Spa Wumurdaylin offers everything from body wraps and facials to de-stress massages using natural Australian products. The Soul Temple treatment begins with a heavenly feeling sugar scrub, followed by a Vichy vertical shower and underwater massage. I leave in a daze.

    If you prefer adventure to relaxation, there is an abundance of day trips from Hamilton Island, from snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef to Whitsundays helicopter tours – all of which make for unforgettable experiences that will bring you and your partner closer.

    Evening

    A couple standing at qualia, gazing out over the endless ocean horizon.
    Close your journey over a beautiful dinner by the sea. (Image: Sharyn Cains)

    Enjoy an elevated evening at qualia’s tranquil Pebble Beach restaurant, where a private beach setting complements the thoughtful, seasonal menu. Or perhaps continue relaxing at Beach Club, feasting on roast lamb and seafood at the poolside restaurant or soaking in ocean views from your room with in-house room delivery. And don’t forget the champagne – a weekend of love, fun and restoration is worth toasting.

    Getting there

    Hamilton Island has its own airport called the Great Barrier Reef Airport, which makes it fuss-free to get to. Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar offer short, direct flights from most major Australian cities, including Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Cairns. This means you’ll spend less time travelling and more time enjoying each other’s company.

    Visit hamitlonisland.com.au for more couples’ retreat ideas.